Gelion
Retired Captain
I think its a lot better to mess up a lot of people "a little" than a few people completely.
Cannabis IS dangerous: The Independent
- Thread starter Mega Tsunami
- Start date
I think its a lot better to mess up a lot of people "a little" than a few people completely.
punkbass2000
Des An artiste
Alcohol messes up more people "a lot" than heroin.
Gelion
Retired Captain
Lets just say the % of people messed up completely is a lot lot higher with heroin users as opposed to everyone that has ever drunk alcohol.
Tortosa
The Big E
A lot of things in today's world are dangerous. So what's the solution?
Wrap the whole world in bubble wrap?
Create even more "awareness days"?
- Traffic safety awareness day
- paper cut awareness day
- expired milk awareness day
- bee sting awareness day
Life is too short for some people not to blaze up, everybody else should just mind their own business. It's not like we're tying you to a chair and blowing smoke in yr face.
Wrap the whole world in bubble wrap?
Create even more "awareness days"?
- Traffic safety awareness day
- paper cut awareness day
- expired milk awareness day
- bee sting awareness day
Life is too short for some people not to blaze up, everybody else should just mind their own business. It's not like we're tying you to a chair and blowing smoke in yr face.
Last time I looked, prison IS dangerous and generally messes up people's lives.
Yes, it would be like putting people in prison because they get stung by a bee or use expired milk. Whether or not something is dangerous, it's a complete non-sequitor to respond with putting the person who experiences the alledged danger in prison.
Desmond Hawkins
Deity
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2002
- Messages
- 9,922
Not necessarily. And alcohol doesn't just mess people up a "little". You checked Russia's male death rate lately?
Anyway, even if something is damaging, it would be better to legalize and prescribe things than have the criminal underworld manage the market.
Someone is hopelessly addicted to heroin? Fine, give it to them cheaply by prescription and keep the distribution out of the hands of organized crime. If people are well educated about how bad it is, then legalizing it will probably have no negative effects. And considering the fact that opium isn't naturally an expensive crop, the prices (and therefore dangers) would fall dramatically, making it far cheaper for society to cope this way.
LucyDuke
staring at the clock
Apples and oranges. Comparing "users" to "everyone that has ever" is not a useful exercise. Round fruit that grows on a tree, sure, but heroin and alcohol are awkward to compare in any respect.
Gelion
Retired Captain
I have a feeling that if heroin had that much cultural significance in Russia as vodka it would have affected the mortality rate a lot more than alcohol.
It is a difficult question at best. As with everything else only globalized legalization would help (hope you can guess why) and it is not gonna happen.
Trouble is how you define those who are hopelessly addicted? Wouldn't it be unfair on the others if addicts got cheaper heroin? Who will take control of the production? Companies? State? What about other states?
Legalization of drugs can only work on a global scale and frankly states have other issues to worry about.
I've stated my opnion on CFC before. Heroin creates a lot more problem than alcohol mostly due to a more severe degree of mental and physical addiction as it is the same for many other drugs. There's no smoke without fire. Its my choice not to use it and I'd be happy if people around me didn't use it as well, but most of the time its not my business.
Gelion
Retired Captain
Even if you compare apples to apples heroin wins. IMHO that is.
Desmond Hawkins
Deity
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2002
- Messages
- 9,922
But the point is that it doesn't. Just because heroin is a worse substance on an individual level, it dosn't mean its total effects to society are more significant. 40 million heavy heroin users in Russia would be worse than that many alcoholics, but that just isn't how it is. 40 million heavy alcohol users is probably worse than half a million or even a million heroin users. On the whole, alcohol is a much worse scourge there.
And you wouldn't need complete global legalization, but rather just have the most important players legalize. Ultimately the US is the most important factor here, and they are the ones pressuring the rest of the world into this ridiculous war on drugs.
As for who would supply it, that is a lesser detail. Government run producers, or well controlled private producers would be just fine.
As for who gets to buy? Well maybe that is trickier, but even so, it is better to deal with this issue on a legal and regulated framework rather than one where the criminal underworld rules.
This really isn't that hard of an issue, there is just lots of inertia built up against legalization (in America in particular).
Legalise it, study it.the article said:
When people are found to be harmed, put out warning labels, and sue the suppliers for not fully researching their product for damages.
It's a lot better than the system now, where dealers tell people that MJ is safe for everyone and us doomsayers are idiots. Oh, and the dealers will never be sued for selling a damaging product with our current system ...
theimmortal1
Prince
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 539
I had a pretty serious panic attack one time from smoking too much. Yeah obviously its my fault, but pot is clearly dangerous. Should be legal, but it is dangerous
LucyDuke
staring at the clock
I had a pretty serious panic attack one time from stepping into an elevator. If triggering a panic attack is the only criterion for something to be clearly dangerous, elevators are dangerous. Or do you have any other reasons?
Of course, I agree that it should be legal, and I believe that even explicity dangerous psychoactives should be legal. I just think that your characterization is illegitimate. I'm particularly surprised you say "it's my fault" and then demonize the plant. Pot is less dangerous than peanut butter.
punkbass2000
Des An artiste
Agreed, undoubtedly. However, this very fact causes fewer people to even risk heroin.
theimmortal1
Prince
- Joined
- Apr 25, 2006
- Messages
- 539
And I got in a serious car accident while sober. I'm not sure of your point.
There are side effects to smoking pot. It doesn't effect everyone especially at varying dosages.
Perhaps you are one of the lucky ones that can smoke a tree down and feel perfect. I am one of the lucky ones that can drink a keg and still be functionable.
Ziggy Stardust
Absolutely Sane
Legalise it to keep the THC levels in check. Only way to monitor it and act on breaches. When merely condoning or criminalising it, there's no means to do that.
Sophie 378
Avvie by ybbor
Given my extensive knowledge of everything to do with cannabis (yeah right), I'd like to point out that this was in the "Independent on Sunday", not the actual "Independent". They're published by the same group, but there's usually just fluff in the Sunday edition. Most of the serious journalists and writers only do the Monday-Saturday ones. I don't trust this nearly as much as the normal Indy.
ComradeDavo
Formerly God
To an extent your right, I remember the papers having slightly different stances duing the general election as to the extent of the support they gave the Lib Dems, but they are very close to each other.
skadistic
Caomhanach
I would love for the people who say legalize it and control the levels of THC to tell me how.
Similar threads
